Immigration Facts of the Week: Trump suffered setbacks, but doubles down on his rhetoric and anti-immigrant measures
Check out the most important immigration developments, such as the increase in migrant deaths and Trump's
This week, President Trump suffered some setbacks in the courts and at the polls.
San Francisco Federal District Judge Charles Breyer ordered the Trump administration to halt the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and return the Control of the troops to the state government. Trump deployed the troops in June to assist in immigration and crime-fighting efforts, but he did so without a request from Gavin Newsom's government and without any justifiable reason for the activation. On the other side of the country, in Maryland, a federal judge ordered the immediate release of Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was deported "by mistake" to the CECOT prison in El Salvador despite a court order prohibiting his repatriation because his life was in danger. The government brought him back reluctantly and accused him of human smuggling to justify his detention. She also claims the young man is a gang member, but he denies it.
Abrego had been in a detention center for months despite threats of deportation to Liberia.
“Because Abrego Garcia has been detained by ICE for deportation to a third country without a legal deportation order, the relief sought is appropriate,” wrote Federal Judge Paula Xinis.
In Miami, a Democrat wins mayoral race for the first time in 30 years
Democrat Eileen Higgins won the race for mayor of Miami, defeating the Trump-backed candidate, Republican Emilio Gonzalez.
Higgins appealed to voters on the economy and emphasized the Trump administration’s extremist immigration policies.
“We live in the state of Florida, where we have people building cages for our residents instead of affordable housing for them,” Higgins told The Associated Press.
Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections,Democrats have scored victories in several elections against Republicans, pointing to the possibility of regaining control of at least the House of Representatives. The excesses of Trump's immigration operations have been a factor in the erosion of Hispanic support for the president.
Trump Doubles Down on Incendiary Rhetoric and Extreme Immigration Measures
Meanwhile, Trump continues to unleash his anger against immigrants. First, he called Somalis "trash," and at an event in Pennsylvania, he said that Afghanistan, Haiti, and Somalia, among others, are "hellholes." "Filthy, filthy, disgusting, crime-ridden."
His rhetoric is accompanied by the tightening of his immigration policies.
In Minnesota, the Somali community is now under siege with the presence of federal agents in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and with Trump's threats to eliminate their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Somalia is also on the list of 19 countries whose immigration adjustments have been frozen, from green cards to asylum applications. People from these countries have also been literally removed from lines where they were waiting for their naturalization ceremonies. And incidents of U.S. citizens being detained by ICE and the Border Patrol are becoming increasingly common. This happened to a 20-year-old man in Minneapolis, detained despite telling authorities he was a citizen and that his passport confirmed it.
Dramatic Increase in Detention Centers and Deaths Within Them
A study by the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) concluded that in the past year, detention centers in the United States have increased by 69%.
“The report details that the 26 detention centers that existed in 2024 were joined by 18 more this year, where an average of 65,000 immigrants are being held nationwide—a record number amid the increase in raids ordered by the Trump administration,” reported La Opinion.
These are unsanitary facilities plagued with problems where some 25 deaths have been reported so far this year alone.
Citizenship for Sale
While Trump prevents immigrants from adjusting their status or becoming citizens, he sells a gold card that, for $1 to $2 million, offers legal status and a path to citizenship, wrote La Opinion.
Quote of the Week
“I want to make something absolutely clear: this is not the United States I grew up in, and this is not the United States we stand for. I refuse to allow anyone, identified or not, to violate my rights or strip me of my dignity,” said a U.S. citizen violently dragged from her vehicle in Key Largo.Florida by immigration agents despite desperately shouting that she is a citizen.

